Lisa Chambers (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the reforms and, like the last speaker, I congratulate and commend the committee that took the time and effort to put them together. The reforms have come about via cross-party support and the work of members representative of the whole Dáil and, in essence, of the country. It is a very positive start to the new Dáil that these reforms have come about through collaboration and an interest in seeing things done differently and more efficiently.

I welcome the fact that committee structures are being strengthened. Like the last speaker, I agree that smaller committees is a better way to go. From any job that one does, one knows that makes things much easier. In my experience as a member of Mayo County Council, smaller groupings were far better and far easier to work within. One definitely had more scope to get one's ideas across and to work better with people. As such, this is a very positive step forward and a positive change.

We have heard the terms "political reform" and "Dáil reform" bandied about for a number of years.

There was a feeling among the public and some public representatives that reform was something that we discussed but did nothing about and that it was not possible to achieve reforms that made our Parliament work better. As such, this report is a positive step forward in how we do politics and represents a crucial change in how the country operates. It shows the public that, when there is buy-in, collaboration and support from across the House and an appetite to work differently and better, it can be done. It sets a good tone for how the Dáil will operate.

I welcome the fact that we pursued this project on foot of what is a numerically different Dáil and a changed country. While many people were uneasy and frightened by these changes, given that change can be difficult, something positive has been produced. I hope that people see the positive aspects of the different political situation in which we find ourselves.

I also welcome the budget and finance committee and the fact that the budget will have more input from all Deputies, recognising the mandate of each individual and political party in the House. This is important. In recent years and further back into the history of Irish politics, there was never scope for dissenting views and little scope for minority views, small parties and individuals. This represents a change in terms of taking on board all views, even those that one does not want to hear or do not align with one's own. This is forcing that to happen, which is a positive.

While the d'Hondt system can be time consuming and cumbersome, it is practical and fair and recognises the mandates of Deputies and parties. It gives greater respect to the decision of citizens in voting for their local representatives. That is positive. While it may take us longer to get things done and we may need to put in more hours of work, we should not be concerned.

These reforms represent an opportunity as well as a change to how we work. I appreciate that, as a new Deputy, I did not operate under the old system and it may be easier for a first-time Deputy to operate under the new one, given that it is all one knows. For some, the change may be more difficult than for others. Getting used to changes in how things operate is always a challenge, but the buy-in from all representatives in the House in order to make things work better sends a positive message to the public to the effect that this is not about rhetoric and saying one thing while doing something else, but that we are committed to these changes. I am proud and privileged to be a part of them.

It could be construed as showing a lack of experience of working in the House, but I am looking forward to keeping an open mind and being prepared to understand and take on board the views of others as best I can. It is important that the House not operate in a bubble, although avoiding that can be difficult. Often, one is surrounded by like-minded thinkers, people from one's own party or social group or one's friends. It is important that the new Dáil challenges all Members to get involved in committees and debates on legislation where they must listen to and take on board others' views even if they do not agree with them. It might present an opportunity for some people to change their views on certain issues. I hope that it will minimise the negative impact that groupthink can sometimes have on the House.

I welcome the changes. They are a positive step. I look forward to working within the new structures with all of my colleagues to ensure that this works. It is prudent that we review this reform at a later stage, for example, in a year's time. We are not infallible and may not be doing everything correctly. We are making decisions based on our current information. We may have got some matters wrong and others right, but it is prudent that the entire Dáil review how the reform works. It is positive that we are open to making whatever changes are necessary.

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